The integration of external tools in Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) aims at enriching the learning activities that educational practitioners may design and enact. This paper presents GLUE!, an architecture that enables the lightweight integration of multiple existing external tools in multiple existing VLEs. GLUE! fosters this integration by…

A curriculum-linked professional development approach designed to support middle level science teachers' understandings about tectonics and geospatial pedagogical content knowledge was developed. This approach takes into account limited face-to-face professional development time and instead provides pedagogical support within the design of a…

We present the perspectives of teachers and others involved in the collaborative design of teaching and learning artifacts across three cases: (a) an independent group participating in lesson study; (b) teachers participating in professional development programs; and (c) a district initiative for producing numeracy tasks. Among the results we…

Academics preparing students for experiential placements within professional programs require considerable curriculum planning and pedagogical expertise. Communities of practice involving workshops and online processes provide opportunities for collaborative work in developing quality curriculum materials and also in supporting widespread…

Immigrants and the children of immigrants who have completed their schooling in Canadian school settings, commonly referred to as Generation 1.5, are increasingly identified in the research literature as academically at risk due to inadequately developed academic language proficiency and learning strategies. This article describes the design,…

Java Virtual Machine (JVM) education has become essential in training embedded software engineers as well as virtual machine researchers and practitioners. However, due to the lack of suitable instructional tools, it is difficult for students to obtain any kind of hands-on experience and to attain any deep understanding of JVM design. To address…

This paper reported on the findings of research into innovation in e-learning design and assessment through the development and implementation of online learning activities (e-tivities). The focus of the study was on Carpe Diem as a process to enable academic course teams to seize 2 days to design and embed pedagogically appropriate e-tivities…

An experimental program was undertaken to find a means of facilitating the teaching of art to large numbers of students in a Humanities course at the University of Miami. Original paintings were available for study in the University art gallery, but there was insufficient room for large classes in the gallery and a specialist teacher was not…

Focuses on the formative evaluation of games in order to improve their instructional effectiveness and motivational strength. (Author)

The application of research outcomes aligned to a single paradigm can result in the design of polarized classroom pedagogies. In contrast, the application of multi-paradigmatic perspectives can result in the design of effective literacy and thinking tools. The research outcomes from cognitive and neuro-psychologists adopting normative…

This paper reviews an earlier study examining the variables affecting the success of distance learning programs. In 1995, Dr. Ellen Wagner developed a list identifying the following 16 variables which need to be considered if a distance learning program is to be successful: needs assessment; audience analysis; instructional design; course…

The report is a review and analysis of the status of the Public Service Occupations Curriculum Project, and is an outgrowth of discussions and recommendations from the February 1974 meeting of the National Advisory and Review Committee of the California State Department of Education, Vocational Education Section. Approximately one-half of the…

An approach to implementing competency-based education programs using a combination of self-instructional modules, individualized management processes, and group instructional techniques was designed and used for a comprehensive consumer education program incorporated into various high school business education programs. This instructional…

The purpose of the study was to develop and validate individualized instructional modules for graphic production at the community college level. Seven components of the research and development process were product selection, literature review, planning, development of the preliminary form of the product, preliminary field test and product…

A systematic approach to the improvement of courses, programs and curricula in higher education is presented in the following chapters: (1) "Benefits of a Systematic Approach to Course and Curriculum Improvement"; (2) "Making the Decision to Create or Redesign a Course or Program"; (3) "Selecting a Design Team and Establishing Goals and…